FOI request (FOIR-720534129)

Local government reorganisation

Requested Thu 05 June 2025
Responded Tue 10 June 2025

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to the amount of money your local authority has spent and/or will spend to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation as per the invitation sent by Jim McMahon OBE MP, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution listed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-invitation-to-local-authorities-in-two-tier-areas/letter-east-sussex-and-brighton

The information requested is as follows:

1. Did your council commission external consultants/advisers to work on and/or produce your local government reorganisation or joint council submission to the MHCLG for 21st March 2025?

2. If so, who were the consultants/advisors, and how much did it cost up to and including 21st March 2025?

3. Has your council allocated or estimated future expenditure to pay external consultants/advisers to work on your/joint council reorganisation proposals? If so, how much and over what timeframe?

4. What is your projected expenditure to reorganise into a new local authority based on your submission or joint council submission to MHCLG?

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Response

1. No

2. Not applicable

3. £37,500 for external consultancy between 11May 2025 – 15 June 2025

4. Information not held. This is, as yet, an unknown quantity and will form part of the submission to MHCLG which will be made public.